The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still dealing with the aftermath of the presidential primary conflict.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State requested yesterday that Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman, quit.
The candidate and chairman cannot be from the same bloc region, he emphasized.
According to the governor, Southwest PDP stakeholders think that restructuring and unification should begin with Ayu’s departure.
Southwest will continue to foster the fear of exclusion, according to Makinde, if the debate brought on by the distribution of jobs is not settled before next year’s elections.
Makinde said: “If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify PDP first. If we want a government of national unity, it must reflect in the PDP. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must restructure PDP first.
“Our presidential candidate is from the Northeast. Our national chairman is from Northcentral. The Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Aminu Tambuwal, is from the Northwest. So, the PDP national chairman should step down.”
However, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate, who met with Southwest PDP leaders and candidates in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, stated that if Ayu must quit, his departure must adhere to proper process.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu urged the party leadership to show courage by making decisive decisions that will promote stability in the party in Umuobiakwa, Abia State, where he also met with Senator Adolphus Wabara, PDP BoT Chairman.
Senator Biodun Olujimi, former Ondo State Governor Segun Mimiko, former Osun State governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, and PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Taofeek Arapaja were among the Southwest PDP leaders who gathered at the Prof. Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
Makinde said: “There’s a saying that when two brothers go into a room to talk and they come out laughing, they say, the likelihood is that, they have not told themselves the truth. But, when two brothers come out looking forlorn, that means they must have told themselves the truth.
“People have spoken here and they have spoken about the positive sides of things. But we do have challenges in our party. We have issues to address, but one good thing is we have the capacity to address those issues.
“I have seen people abuse me on social media, saying this thing is about Wike, Makinde, Ortom, Ikpeazu or Ughanyi. The truth is we do not have any issues either with our party or with our candidate.
“If there are challenges, we must bring them to the table so that we can address them to ensure that our journey is smooth and we can get to our destination. This is not about individuals.
“I see people talk, saying this happened during our presidential convention or because someone was selected as a vice presidential candidate. Those are issues that are behind us; it has happened; it has happened.
“And this is where we are. Are there issues coming out of those that we need to address so that we can be successful at the end of the day? The answer is yes and we will address them.
“Integrity and honour must be a part of our national psyche.
“The Yoruba have a saying that if someone promises to give you cloth, you will firstly look at what he or she is wearing. If the person is wearing what is befitting then, you know that the person has the capacity to give you what you can wear.”
Makinde added: “When we launched our new party logo, we said we wanted to rescue Nigeria. Our candidate is a unifier; he will unify Nigeria.
“We want to restructure Nigeria. I have listened to our candidate publicly and privately. I have had interactions also with him. He mooted the idea of a government of national unity.
“Privately, he said to me that in 1999, he won the election at the national level, but he wanted others to come and he moved towards almost a Government of National Unity.
“He invited individuals from other political parties to join the national government. So, our party is talking about unifying this country. We are talking about the government of national unity because eight years of APC has left us badly divided.
“Well, the issue is we must practice what we preach. If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify PDP first.
“If we want a government of national unity, the faces in PDP must reflect national unity. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to do what is right to bring inclusivity into PDP.
“So, the message from the Southwest region is that there are few things that you can do for us post-election. Once the election is won, there are things that you can do for us.
“But, before the elections, the Southwest PDP wants a situation where your message to Nigerians can resonate and the only way that can happen is the face of PDP.
“Everything that PDP stands for in terms of unifying this country, in terms of restructuring the country, in terms of looking at a government of national unity, must be reflected in PDP moving towards the election.
“The Southwest PDP is asking that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP be restructured. Our candidate is from the Northeast. The PDP national chairman is from the Northcentral. Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the Director General of the Atiku campaign, is from the Northwest.
“We must resolve the issue of what we have in the face of Nigerians by asking the national chairman to step down so that the PDP in the Southern part of National Chairman, Iyiorcha Ayu, who was represented by the Acting Chairman, Ilya Damagum, while thanking Makinde for hosting the meeting, appealed to members, saying the party is in a trying period.
He advised members to give their all to the party, promising that they will be rewarded appropriately.
He claimed that when choosing its presidential candidate and running partner, PDP took diversity into account.
Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State and vice presidential candidate, claimed that only the PDP has a defined strategy for Nigeria.
He stated that Atiku is the only treatment that can be given to heal the nation and that any other treatment would kill it.
Senator Adeleke asserted that Atiku is the finest economic plan for Nigeria and that the country needs him to bring people together and build bridges.
He urged Southwest to support Atiku, saying that he is the one who can save the sinking ship.
Speaking on behalf of prior governors, Oyinlola stated that the region had consented for Makinde to make its demands at the meeting.
